Many growers in the United States are currently switching from conventional tillage methods or minimum tillage methods to zone or strip tillage methods to reduce input costs and increase crop yields. The strip tillage machines currently on the market are designed to perform zone tillage, apply fertilizer, and make a mellow, friable seedbed for the upcoming crop. Residue levels for strip tillage range from light soybean stubble to heavy standing corn stubble.
An implement for zone or strip tillage typically includes a cutting coulter, a row cleaner, and fertilizer injection knife system mounted on a shank assembly and covering disks. The cutting coulter is design to cut residue, and the row cleaner removes crop residue from the formed strip. The shank-mounted fertilizer injection knife system fractures the soil in the strip and applies fertilizer. The covering disks are designed to catch the dirt spray off of the fertilizer knife and move the dirt back over the row to seal the fertilized area and make a berm.
Many of the currently available strip tillage implements have problems with residue flow between the fertilizer knife and closing disks. The residue flow problems result from the operation of attaching brackets for a tall knife at ground level or in the ground when the strip-till bar works at depths from approximately six to ten inches. Residue catches on the brackets and impedes the flow of residue and soil clods between the knife and closing disks. Once there is sufficient residue build up, clearance between the knife and closing disks disappears. With no clearance, the closing disks stop turning and a ball of residue and clods starts to drag. The operator then has to stop the machine to dislodge the plug.
Providing an economical knife point that is long-wearing and has good soil operation characteristics has also been a continuing source of difficulty. Welded knife points have worked well but are expensive to manufacture and usually require replacement of the entire long knife when the point is worn out. Providing good subsurface soil shattering action without soil slabbing, excessive knife side wear, and excessive soil surface inversion and disturbance also continues to be a source of difficulty, especially on fertilizer knives working in strip tillage applications.